ccTLD The Official .WS Discussion

[memorablename]

The Official .ws thread

.WS can stand for WEBSITE.

It has pros and cons as a domain. This thread is for people who wish to suggest ideas to build up and help promote the .ws domain as well as to give and receive help and advice on .ws domains in general. Some useful info contributed through this thread below. Views and comments anyone...

http://website.ws/faq/index.dhtml

The registry is now allowing .WS domain names to be transferred from registrar to registrar. It seems that most registrars just haven't updated their websites to allow this yet.

This is good news for the .ws market as this was a major factor in holding .ws back. Time for .ws to take off? Can we publicize this to help boost the market?

Wrote about this a while back -
http://www.mwzd.com/2008/01/23/the-significance-of-ws/

So why buy .ws?
1. Excellent keywords can still be regged.
2. You can buy premium keywords for $20-$50.
3. Excellent development potential, luckily goog doesn’t really care about which extension the site is on but how much content s there and how often it is updated.
4. Godaddy markets .ws - little but its a big brand
5. The ‘website’ christening seems to have more and more acceptance.
6. Its easy to get traffic and thus revenue for better keywords in .ws than a ‘bad’ keyword in .com

Some .WS sales over $200 listed below. Please post any .WS sales you know of over $200 to this thread

folder.ws$250 2008-03-05SEDO.com
reisebuero.ws$750 2008-02-23SEDO.com
cast.ws$200 2008-02-13SEDO.com
notebooks.ws$370 2008-01-07TDNAM.com
yukle.ws$62 2008-01-06SEDO.com
moshax.ws$350 2007-12-25TDNAM.com
flirt.ws$286 2007-12-24SEDO.com
washingtonstate.ws$500 2007-12-16SEDO.com
fulltilt.ws$310 2007-12-15SEDO.com
sms.ws$2,000 2007-12-08SEDO.com
liondog.ws$770 2007-12-05TDNAM.com
clipart.ws$850 2007-11-15SEDO.com
beaches.ws$250 2007-11-14SEDO.com
airport.ws$366 2007-11-05TDNAM.com
tomfelton.ws$335 2007-04-26TDNAM
london.ws $1,825 Sedo


Also from: 2004 to 2006

blogs.ws $1,600
save.ws $417
green.ws $227
Avatars.ws $400
VOIP.ws $2,000 Sedo
Game.ws $1,000 Namepros
VacationRentals.ws $800 Private
VoiceOverIP.ws $600 Sedo
PersonalInjury.ws $600 Private
NikeSports.ws ($480)
UsedBooks.ws ($240)

 

[tetrapak]

It was marketed as WebSite yes, but it didn't really take off, rather became just another extension.

 

[barefoottech]

.WS == Western Samoa (Former name) Now known as Samoa.
Samoa is a small island nation in the Pacific, not to be confused with its neighbor American Samoa.

.WS == Website was always a STUPID promotional Idea. THe usage of .ws has never really caught on, unlike other island ccTLDs, like .TV, .CC, .FM or .TK

 

[Tippy]

I agree more or less with the above, the Website.ws people messed this ext. up right from the start. I'd still reg one none the less if I liked the name and had a personal usage for it or if it was like a huge keyword.

 

[lll]

I only have 1 .ws which is also in my signature.

HAHA.ws :D

taken in all other major extensions! :D

 

[mwzd]

THe usage of .ws has never really caught on, unlike other island ccTLDs, like .TV, .CC, .FM or .TK

.tk and .cc 'caught on'?

Thats news to me :D

I'd take .ws over any of the other extensions mentioned above, including .tv, but then, thats just me.

 

[yilduz]

I like .ws. I don't understand why so many people don't like it. I only have one .ws, though, and I regged it because I like the idea of domain hacks. I thought it was clever.

 

[dotker]

because they seem like another scam company i just sold my .ws though for 3x its price lol but never gonna reg it again.

 

[mwzd]

Just sold Carpets dot ws for $504.

Had sent a few feelers to people in Jan / Feb w/ a $900 price, no bites.

Added a $500 price on Sedo and it sold w/in a month of pricing it.

Its a bargain below $x,xxx - over 1 million monthly searches plus an additional 9 million monthly for the singular - so great buy for the new owner.

Each carpet can cost 1000s of $$$.

Guess 'bad' tlds are also capable of making you a decent roi if you know what you're doing.

 

[Tribulatio]

Thank you, Samit, for sharing that interesting experience with us. I feel that you have chosen the right approach for selling such names in WS. What you are telling us here encourages me to continue with what I have started to do a few days ago with those of my WS domain names parked with Sedo: offering them at fixed prices, in a price range quite similar to yours. I am confident that a few of them will sell within the coming months, if reasonably priced.

And indeed: a baragain for endusers who understand what can be done with such a name, whatever the TLD!

 

[daj]

.ws domains at GoDaddy Auctions for $5 + Reg Fee(BIN): Street | Court | Refinancing (high PPC)

 

[DnEbook]

.ws is great for hacks ........worldne.ws is my only hack and only .ws , happy enough

 

[MicroGuy]

For some reason, .WS is popular in South Carolina.

My son brought home some papers the other day published by a company using a .WS website, a church on my road advertises a .WS website on their sign, and a local business program advertises their business on a .WS.

 

[Kate]

For some reason, .WS is popular in South Carolina.

There must be a few .sc active as well

 

[Tippy]

Picked up: Printers | .ws

Thats a nice one

I recently picked up Dieting.ws, Bankrupt.ws and Sponsors.ws

 

[daj]

Recent sales from Bido:

Pain dot ws sold @ $517
Manhattan dot ws sold @ $140
German dot ws sold @ $104
Printers dot ws @ $66 (sold by me)
Kitchen dot ws @ $53 (sold by me)

I was surprised by how much Pain dot ws went for,
as I know on here it would of only sold for $50 at best,
if it ever even got an interested buyer. I thought my
Printers dot ws and Kitchen dot ws would of done better.

 

[daj]

Parking dot ws sold @ Bido Today for $1,715.
DnSalePrice.com lists the domain selling at Sedo for $60 back in Aug 09'. Awesome flip.

 

[Tribulatio]

Thank you for sharing the information, I had not noticed it, since I do not visit Bido frequently.
It shows again how unpredictable the sale of domain names can be: some generic .ws names sold for small amounts.
On the other hand, for somebody determined to use it, a generic name can be an asset, even a .ws one.

 

[mwzd]

Parking dot ws sold @ Bido Today for $1,715.
DnSalePrice.com lists the domain selling at Sedo for $60 back in Aug 09'. Awesome flip.

Terrific flip.

Bido might just be the place to sell .ws :D

I can't find it now, but saw another sales report for $514 for a .ws on sedo...

 

[morg]

What do you think of my one word .ws

Hoodie dot ws

This is my only .ws Just got it today.

Any thoughts welcome.

I like the name but not crazy about the ext.

morg

 

[noy.com]

Have got Soft.ws

Any idea how much it might be worth? )

 

[daj]

Soft.cc sold for $500. So if you can find an enduser you might be able to get $xxx.

 

[noy.com]

Thanks, Daj )

 

[Timewarp]

Hoodie dot ws

This is my only .ws Just got it today.

Any thoughts welcome.

I like the name but not crazy about the ext.

morg

I like it, very easy to monetize, there are lots of clothing affiliate programs that sell hoodies.

 

[morg]

Thanks for the reply Timewarp.

I have several other hoodie domains and I am looking for an affiliate program.
That should provide more money than parking.

Thanks for the response.

Morg

 

[ninepro]

Just found this thread and gotta say I do love the WS, lots of fantastic keywords around and if you price reasonably its relatively easy to flip quickly.

I recently sold German.ws on Bido as mentioned in this thread and have just sent ANSWERS.WS to auction at Sedo for only $60, so we'll see what happens with that.

*Cough clicky for Answers.ws on Sedo*

Jason...